04/09/2024 | Writer: Yıldız Tar
A lawsuit has been filed against 10 people who were detained through police violence during the Eskişehir Pride March. Allegations against the police officers involved and the doctor who failed to acknowledge the violence in the medical report have been separated from the case file. An investigation is currently ongoing against both the police officers and the responsible doctor.
Photograph: Nalin Öztekin, 4th Eskişehir Pride March, 9 June 2024
Lawsuits continue to be filed against those detained during LGBTI+ Pride Marches due to incidents of police violence. Following the recent case in Antalya, legal action has now been taken against people detained in Eskişehir for attempting to participate in the Pride March.
On 9 June, the Eskişehir Pride March was forcibly halted by police, resulting in the violent detention of 10 people. These detainees now face charges under the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations.
The Eskişehir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has issued an indictment against all those detained on the day of the march, on charges of “participating in illegal gatherings and marches without weapons, and failing to disperse spontaneously despite warnings.” Additionally, some participants face charges of “resisting the police and preventing them to carry out their duty.”
Eskişehir 16th Criminal Court of First Instance accepted the prosecutor’s indictment and filed a lawsuit.
The indictment refers to the Eskişehir Pride March as “so-called”
The prosecutor’s indictment referred to the Eskişehir Pride March as the “so-called 4th Pride March.” Notably, the indictment did not address the police violence that was documented in footage and condemned by human rights organizations. Instead, it was alleged that some marchers “committed the crime of resisting the police officers by using force against them in order to prevent them to carry their duty”.
The investigation into the allegations of police violence, which the detainees reported in their statements to the prosecutor’s office, has been separated from the main case file. The prosecutor’s office has decided to handle the allegations against the police officers who allegedly used violence during the protest and the subsequent medical check-ups, as well as the doctor who purportedly omitted the police violence from his report, in a separate investigation. This investigation into the conduct of the police officers and the doctor is ongoing.
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What happened during the Eskişehir Pride March?
On 9 June, the Eskişehir Pride March was halted by police violence. The Ulus Monument, where the press statement was scheduled to take place, was blockaded by police hours in advance. LGBTI+ activists and lawyers were not informed of any ban before the police intervention. When the crowd requested to see the banning order, the police responded by detaining them. Journalists attempting to record the incident were also prevented from filming.
Out of the 10 people detained, 4 were released on the same day following their statements. However, 6 individuals were referred to the criminal judgeship of peace, with 3 of them facing a request for arrest. The court imposed judicial control measures on 5 of them, including requirements to sign in regularly and a ban on traveling abroad, before ultimately releasing all detainees. Despite their release, the police held them without any justification until late at night and then released them in an area limited in terms of transportation.
“The police response in Eskişehir is part of an ongoing effort to suppress LGBTI+ rights”
The Human Rights Defenders Solidarity Network issued a statement following the incidents of police violence and detentions. The Human Rights Defenders Solidarity Network highlighted the broader context of criminalization of LGBTI+ rights advocacy in Turkey. Since 2015, Pride Month events and marches across the country have faced increasing restrictions and bans. The Network characterized the police response in Eskişehir as part of an ongoing effort to suppress LGBTI+ rights.
“The ban on the 4th Eskişehir Pride Parade and the violence that followed are clear continuations of efforts to criminalize LGBTI+ advocacy,” the statement read. The Human Rights Defenders Solidarity Network also criticized the judicial control measures imposed on the detained activists, emphasizing that such measures further underscore the importance of their struggle.
Moreover, the Network expressed concern that the crackdown in Eskişehir might set a precedent for other Pride events scheduled to take place across Turkey later in June. “This intervention seems intended to create a deterrent effect against the Pride Marches announced in other provinces,” the statement warned.
The Human Rights Defenders Solidarity Network also reiterated its firm opposition to any interference with the right to peaceful assembly and demonstration. The statement emphasized that it is the right of the participants, not the authorities, to determine where and how these demonstrations should occur. The Network condemned the police actions as a violation of human rights and called on the Ministry of Interior and other relevant authorities to uphold constitutional protections for peaceful assembly.
“We call on the authorities to initiate effective investigations against those law enforcement officers who violate constitutional guarantees and engage in arbitrary detentions accompanied by torture and ill-treatment,” the statement concluded.
Tags: human rights
